New arrivals quickly note that V7n Forum seems a little different from other webmaster forums.

Threads are more readable here as they aren't cluttered with self-promotional posts.

One cannot just place personal links randomly about the forum, and attempts to so are quickly discouraged

As you might guess, these are connected. Having attended forums where it is the norm to wade through spam and self-promotion just to read a thread, V7 staff offers an alternative where THE GUIDELINES are intentionally (a) very short, (b) very clear, and (c) very evenly enforced. Placement of one's own links are restricted to specific clearly defined areas per A & B of the guidelines (seen below):

Quote:

Originally Posted by the V7 Network Community Guidelines (Rules)

A. We do allow our members to link to their own sites (within reason) when it is relevant as part of their response to a thread, such as linking to a relevant article or blog post. Please keep in mind that our moderators are able to tell the difference when a member refers to their own site in order to improve the quality of their response and when a member is spamming the community. Moderators have final say on what is and what is not appropriate.

B. Advertising your products, services or website is strictly prohibited in all forums except for the Webmaster Marketplace. This includes sending unrequested private messages to other members. Posting affiliate links is not allowed anywhere in the community.

That leaves 3 places for legitimate placement of one's own link...

You can advertise the product in your sig once you have 50 quality posts. (You get 2 sig links... make 'em count!)

* NOTE: The Webmaster Marketplace is NOT a "designated spam zone" where anything goes, it is a marketplace designed for members to offer goods and services to each other. For ease of use, forum-specific instructions are pinned at the top of each to explain proper formatting for offers.

RELATED QUESTIONS

Can I advertise my site in my visitor area?
No. The high visibility of V7 forum on the search engines would make unregulated visitor area ads a very tempting target for spammers. If the visitor area were unregulated, spammers would treat it as they currently use abandoned / unattended blog comment sites.

On the sig link... why 50 quality posts? Whaddaya mean?
A sig link is a privilege for *contributing* members. We allow 2 links of reasonable size and appearance after 50 quality posts. "Thanks for sharing" or "Really cool site", makes no contribution, and trying to meet this requirement with 50 speed posts will not end well. We encourage participation, but not spam.

NOTE: If someone shows up and posts 50 times to threads like "What's your favorite color?!", adds a sig, then leaves, they offer zip to other members. Fifty rapid posts does not warrant a sig, and those who do so will find the sig and possibly the account removed in deference to responsible members who are here to assist each other.

ADDED 11-17-2010 [Edited a bit 08-15-2013]
The information above was amended to reflect our renewed requirement that sigs be earned rather than given. The following is a synopsis of changes implemented today:

Members need a minimum of 50 quality posts to add a signature.

Members need a minimum of 30 quality posts to add their latest blog post.

Members need a minimum of 30 quality posts to include a homepage URL on their profile.

Members need a minimum of 30 quality posts to use the visitor messages option for profiles.

The photo album feature (and comments) is limited to those members with mentor status or above.

SUMMARY
V7n seeks to provide a useful resource for those serious about work on the web, whether longtime professionals or just learning. This thread illustrates exactly where personal links are allowed and why. This may make the forum less attractive to those that do not care about other members (big loss), but it also makes it a better resource for responsible members.